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In article <1993Jan11.041045.13640@cis.ohio-state.edu> rubin@skiing.cis.ohio-state.edu (Daniel Rubin) writes:
>
>You are totally wrong!  Black powder is NOT a primary explosive.  It will
>NOT "detonate" if burned in the open.  It will not "detonate" if it is placed
>in a conceal container such as a bullet casing and ignited.  All BP does is
>deflagrate and produce a large quantity of gasses.  Do you understand the
>difference between detonation and deflagration?  The only way to possiblly
>get black powder to detonate is with a very powderfull detonation to start
>the process.  It is extremly difficult and blasting caps will not do it.  You
>may be thinking of nitrocellulose or "gun powder" it can be made to detonate,
>but again that is extremely difficult.  A substance is said to detonate if
>the rate of probagation of the burning front through the substance is faster
>the the speed of sound.  A substance is said to deflagrate when it burn
>slower than the speed of sound and does not produce a large shock wave which
>is the result of detonation.

Consult the Hazmat database, or the DOT classification schedule. Black
powder is most definitely classed as an explosive while nitrocellulose
propellant powder is classed as a flamable solid. You can ship smokeless
gunpowder UPS, but black powder must be transported by special hazardous
materials carriers licensed to transport explosives. There is only one
black powder plant in the US. It is completely remotely operated because
of the extreme explosion hazard offered by black powder. That's the Hogdon
Powder Works. In the 19th century, black powder mills were notorious for
exploding from static electricity or other trivial ignition sources. There 
were only two mining explosives, blasting powder (aka black powder) and
nitroglycerin in the 19th century. Both were considered extremely dangerous
to handle. Nobel made his fortune by inventing a safer explosive, dynamite.

Just why do you think the barrels of modern black powder rifles are two to 
three times as thick walled as those of modern high power smokeless propellant 
rifles? It isn't because of a difference in metallurgy.

Gary
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